548 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



78. Numenius borealis. Eskimo Curlew. 



A very rare fall transient. "A few of these birds are seen every 

 year about the shores of Erie bay, where, in October, 1889, two were 

 shot by Mr. James Thompson, of Erie city." (Warren, Birds of 

 Pennsylvania, 1890, 96). A single female in Mr. Sennett's collection 

 taken September 17, 1889, and marked as having been collected by 

 James Thompson and George B. Sennett, is evidently the only basis 

 of the above statement, since Mr. Thompson asserts that the speci- 

 mens in question passed into Mr. Sennett's possession. 



79. Squatarola squatarola. Black-bellied Plover. 



A transient species, regular and fairly common in the fall migration. 

 Neither this nor the following species have been positively identified in 

 the spring, but on at least two occasions Mr. Bacon has seen a single 

 plover at that season, belonging to one species or the other. August 

 1, 1890, is his earliest fall record, but ordinarily it does not arrive 

 until about the middle of the month, attaining its greatest abundance 

 in September, and remaining often through the greater part of Octo- 

 ber, and sometimes even later (November 10, 1894). In the fall 

 migration of 1900 the first was observed August 23, and September 10 

 and 1 7 were days of special movement, while the last record for the 

 season was not made until October 31. Small parties are the rule, 

 although single birds are not infrequent, and the outside beach and 

 Horseshoe Pond are its favorite haunts. It has also been observed by 

 Mr. Bacon on the ploughed fields of the mainland. Of the whole 

 number secured but three were adult. These were taken on September 

 5 and 17 — by rare good 'fortune, as they are very wild as compared 

 with the young, which can usually be approached with little difficulty. 

 This preponderance of immature birds is noted also by Mr. Bacon, 

 who has seen but three or four adults in all, two of which were se- 

 cured (August 28, 1897 ; August 17, 1901). He considers the young 

 very indifferent for the table. 



80. Charadrius dominicus. American Golden Plover. 



In its seasonal distribution this species is like the last. "Taking 

 one year with another, ' ' Mr. Bacon writes, ' ' I consider this species 

 much the more abundant of the two. Flocks of from twenty-five to 

 fifty birds used to be seen every season, frequenting the ploughed fields 

 west of the city, arriving soon after September 1, and staying for a 

 week or two. These flocks seemed to be comprised mainly of old 



